M&M® Ice Cream Cookie Sandwiches

The creamiest homemade ice cream, made with just four ingredients and no ice cream maker required, is sandwiched between two soft ‘n chewy M&M® cookies to make the ultimate summer treat.

Finally! Friday! Aaaaand a three day weekend.

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Now that the unofficial start of summer is officially here, I figured I’d make a warm weather staple in my kitchen this week: homemade ice cream. But not only ice cream. Cookies and ice cream. Ice cream in between cookies. A sandwich I can definitely get on board with.

M&M®’s recently got in touch with me for a little collaboration. Maybe they noticed the smorgasbord of candies at our wedding? Well, they just launched their new Pinterest page, a mother load for all things M&M®, and asked that I put my own M&M® spin on a few new recipes. So, today I’m going to teach you how to make super soft M&M® cookies, super creamy homemade ice cream, and how to combine the two to get the best summer dessert around.

Three recipes in ONE. I love Fridays.

First, the cookies. I’ve actually shared these cookies with you before. Chances are you have no idea this recipe exists because January 2012 feels like ancient history on this blog. Are those photos taken with my iPhone?

Times have changed, but these cookies have not. These are still the chewiest, softest cookies I’ve ever made and, to be honest, one of the happiest recipes to come out of my kitchen. C’mon how can you not smile with all these cheerful M&M®s?!

Getting nerdy: the cookies are extra chewy from adding an extra egg yolk and using more brown sugar than white sugar.

When I make ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookies, I like to make the cookies a day or two ahead of time to save time on ice cream sandwich day (can we make that a thing?). This way the cookies are ready to go and the dirty dishes are long gone. Hopefully.

Now let’s make the ice cream. I have a HUGE surprise for you. This is the easiest ice cream in the entire world. There is no churning. There is no ice cream maker. Four ingredients. All the flavor! One of my favorite parts to this homemade ice cream is that it is so soft and creamy. You know how ice cream can sometimes be a little too hard? (Wow, I actually AM 80 years old.) Well, this version is more like soft-serve. Especially when it gets a little melty in the bowl or cone. I love soft serve ice cream and this tastes exactly like it.

PLUS. You can use this base ice cream recipe for a variety of homemade ice creams. Just add different add-ins and toppings. Yay.

Heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream can all be used here. The only difference between them all is their milk fat percentage, but any of them make an extraordinary base for this easy homemade ice cream. The key to the mix? The sweetened condensed milk. This thick milk sweetens the ice cream while giving it that rich, creamy texture. I love using sweetened condensed milk in my baking. I think it tastes like melted vanilla frosting. Is that just me?

Also in the no-churn ice cream: vanilla extract. This gives the ice cream a little flavor. The three are beaten together until thick and smooth.

Next, add some M&M®s. Be careful folding these in as they can bleed a little color.

Now, taste it. Isn’t that amazing?

Pour this homemade ice cream mixture into a plastic container or bowl, cover, and pop in the freezer. Congratulations you now have homemade M&M® ice cream.

Instructions

Make the ice cream: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla together on high speed until thick and smooth, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully fold in the M&M®’s. The M&M®’s can bleed their color, so be careful when adding them. Spoon/pour the ice cream mixture into a freezer-safe container or bowl. Cover tightly and freeze overnight. Ice cream can be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.

Make the cookies: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar together on medium speed until smooth. Add the egg and egg yolk and mix on high until combined, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and mix on high until combined. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the wet ingredients and mix on low until combined. Fold in the M&M®’s. Cover the dough and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Set aside. Roll balls of dough (about 1.5 Tablespoons of dough per cookie) and place 2 inches apart on the baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes until very lightly browned on the sides. The centers will look very soft. Remove from the oven and let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Assemble the sandwiches: Take a large scoop of ice cream and sandwich it between two cookies. Feel free to roll the sides in crushed M&M®, chocolate chips, sprinkles, anything! Freeze the sandwiches until ready to eat. See my tip below this recipe.

Notes

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The baked cookies and prepared ice cream can both be prepared in advance. The ice cream needs to freeze overnight before using, but is tasty for up to 2 weeks in the freezer. The baked cookies stay fresh covered at room temperature for up to 1 week. You can make the cookie dough and chill it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Allow to come to room temperature and continue with step 3. Baked cookies freeze well for up to three months. Unbaked cookie dough balls freeze well – up to three months. Bake frozen cookie dough balls for an extra minute, no need to thaw.

Flavor Variations: Try the ice cream with your favorite variety M&M® like Peanut Butter M&M®, M&Ms Crispy®, Dark Chocolate M&M’Ss®, or Peanut M&M’S®! I like to use mini M&M’S® for the cookies because you get more in each cookie.

Did you make this recipe?

Hi. It’s me again. You can prepare these cookie sandwiches ahead of time! Simply prepare the cookies and ice cream, assemble the sandwiches, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and freeze. Perfect straight from the freezer for a cool treat.

97 Comments

Hi, I have some question in mind before I am gonna try this recipe. It is true that brown sugar will make the cookie bcome chewy when the white sugar make the cookie become crispy?
Secondly, what can make the texture of the cookies different by using hand or stand mixer and simply just use hand to mix it well ? From what I knew.. mixer will add some air.
lastly, why most of the cookie dough need to put in the fridge for few hours ?
I will really appreciate if you answer my questions.
thanks

Hi Mellisa! Brown sugar typically yields a chewier, softer cookie and yes, granulated white sugar yields a crispier edge. Typically you want that air incorporated into the dough which is why mixers are preferred for creaming butter/sugar together as the base of cookie doughs. Chilling cookie dough prevents excess spreading when the cookies bake. Enjoy!

Hi Sally, I´d like to know which kind of M&Ms you use because the ones I once baked with were colorless when the cookies were done. So maybe you take a special sort of them for baking? A one that is heat-resistant (; Thank you

Just made these last night for some teacher friends-umm they are incredible!! I would normally not use that word to describe m&m cookies they are usually pretty meh…I mean I wouldn’t turn it down but not a fav. BUT these-they are the first thing I would grab on a cookie tray. I did accidentally use a tablespoon of Mexican vanilla instead of a teaspoon-oops that’s late night baking for ya. But if I make these again I will totally do the same thing! Thanks Sally for another great one!

I made these for a summer BBQ with friends. Everyone raved about them! The homemade ice cream is super delicious, and we loved the cookies so much, I’ve made them several times since then. We love them stored in the frig. Thank you for the recipe!

Hi Sally! The ice cream was sooo good, but how do you prevent so much of the M&Ms from bleeding? It looked a little unappetizing after it was frozen. Also the M&Ms didn’t mix very well-they sort of sank to the bottom. Any tips with this?

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I’m Sally, a cookbook author, photographer, and blogger. My goal is to give you the confidence and knowledge to cook and bake from scratch while providing quality recipes and plenty of pictures. Grab a cookie, take a seat, and have fun exploring! more about Sally